This invention relates generally to refrigeration devices, and more particularly, to a cooling system method and apparatus for a refrigeration device to obtain maximum energy efficiency.
Recently, many countries around the world have established strict energy protection standards. Household refrigerators and freezers have been subject to some of these standards regarding the energy efficiency of these units.
Known refrigerators generally include a case defining at least one compartment for storage of food items, and a condenser/cooling system configured to provide a refrigeration result in the compartment, i.e., remove a certain amount of heat energy from the compartment to the outside environment. The condenser system is typically arranged in the case to transfer heat energy from the compartment to ambient environment outside the compartment. The transfer of this heat consumes energy.
While some of the improvement in energy efficiency has been obtained by improvement in the cabinet insulation, it has been found that improvements can be made in the refrigeration system itself. For example, a capillary tube and a hot gas loop are typically used in a condenser system of a refrigerator to improve cooling efficiency and reduce energy consumption. To improve heat exchange efficiency, increasing the lengths of the capillary tube and the hot gas loop has been adopted.